Orlando Pride vs Seattle Reign | OSJ Match Recap

Unable to secure a win, the Orlando Pride played to a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Reign Saturday afternoon at Orlando City Stadium.

“We didn’t seem to have the energy tonight to really threaten Seattle as much as we should have,” head coach Tom Sermanni said after the game. “I just felt that we made what I call a lot of really fundamental errors. It felt as though we went back into bad habits at times. It was frustrating particularity the second half.”

While the draw keeps the Pride (8-6-5, 29 points) in the playoff mix, they were unable to surpass the Reign (8-4-6, 30 points) for the No. 2 position in the NWSL standings.

Saturday’s attendance at Orlando City Stadium was 5,074.

The Pride, unlike their last three games, were the first to put away a goal in the 21st minute. Off a Marta free kick, Orlando was able to work the ball around the defense, eventually coming back to the Brazilian playmaker. Her cross into the box found Chioma Ubogagu, who crossed the ball back into the box, deflecting off a Reign defender and finding Toni Pressley, who put away the chance past goalkeeper Lydia Williams. That goal marked her second ever goal in a Pride jersey and first of the season.

In that second half, Seattle switched up their formation as Orlando struggled to find cohesion on the ball. After a few close chances coming from the away team, the Reign found an equalizer in the 70th minute, as forward Jodie Taylor found herself on the receiving end of a Nahomi Kawasumi cross, poking the ball past Pride keeper Haley Kopmeyer.

A notable frustration on the field, throughout the second half in particular, was the amount of fouls conceded with 17 fouls committed by the Pride, while only four by the Reign.

“I don’t think it affected the equalizer [however] I don’t see how a game can be as level as that game was and one team can commit 17 fouls,” Sermanni said on the total foul count. “If I’m being frank and the other commit [four] fouls.”

Despite the outcome on Saturday, Ali Krieger celebrated her 100th cap with the Pride.